II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5125 

To provide for certain improvements to the housing and workforce programs 

of Federal land management agencies, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 

Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Mr. KING, and Mr. DAINES) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To provide for certain improvements to the housing and 

workforce programs of Federal land management agencies, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Land Manager Housing and Workforce Improvement Act 

6 of 2024’’. 

7 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

8 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title. 

Sec. 2. Definitions. 


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TITLE I—EXPANDING AUTHORITY 

Sec. 101. Prioritizing National Park Service workforce housing. 

Sec. 102. Authorizing the National Park Service to address workforce housing 

off-park. 

Sec. 103. Expanding National Park Service rental options. 

Sec. 104. Leveraging National Park Service rental receipts for workforce housing programming. 

Sec. 105. Empowering the Forest Service to address workforce housing needs. 

TITLE II—EXPANDING PARTNERSHIP CAPACITY 

Sec. 201. Engaging partners to address National Park Service workforce housing. 

Sec. 202. Leveraging philanthropic support to address National Park Service 

workforce housing. 

TITLE III—SUPPORTING WORKFORCE 

Sec. 301. Supporting the permanent land manager workforce. 

Sec. 302. Supporting the seasonal National Park Service workforce. 

TITLE IV—REPORTS AND OVERSIGHT 

Sec. 401. Quantifying the workforce housing needs of land managers. 

Sec. 402. Conducting oversight on the housing programming of land managers. 

Sec. 403. Justifying emergency spending. 

1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON4 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con5 gress’’ means— 

6 (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural 

7 Resources of the Senate; 

8 (B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri9 tion, and Forestry of the Senate; 

10 (C) the Committee on Appropriations of 

11 the Senate; 

12 (D) the Committee on Natural Resources 

13 of the House of Representatives; 


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1 (E) the Committee on Agriculture of the 

2 House of Representatives; and 

3 (F) the Committee on Appropriations of 

4 the House of Representatives. 

5 (2) COVERED AGENCIES.—The term ‘‘covered 

6 agencies’’ means— 

7 (A) the National Park Service; 

8 (B) the Bureau of Land Management; 

9 (C) the United States Fish and Wildlife 

10 Service; and 

11 (D) the Forest Service. 

12 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

13 the Secretary of the Interior. 

14 TITLE I—EXPANDING 

15 AUTHORITY 

16 SEC. 101. PRIORITIZING NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WORK17 FORCE HOUSING. 

18 Section 103502(a)(3) of title 54, United States Code, 

19 is amended— 

20 (1) by inserting ‘‘quarters for field employees 

21 (as those terms are defined in section 101331) (in22 cluding related infrastructure and amenities),’’ after 

23 ‘‘prioritize’’; and 

24 (2) by inserting a comma after ‘‘facilities’’. 


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1 SEC. 102. AUTHORIZING THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO 

2 ADDRESS WORKFORCE HOUSING OFF-PARK. 

3 Section 100901 of title 54, United States Code, is 

4 amended by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(i) ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR ADMINISTRATION OF

6 SYSTEM UNITS.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 

8 103501(c)(2) or any other provision of law (includ9 ing regulations), to facilitate the administration of a 

10 System unit, the Secretary may acquire, by purchase 

11 from a willing seller, donation, exchange, or transfer 

12 from another Federal agency, not more than 10 

13 acres of land or interests in land, cumulatively, not 

14 more than a 1-hour driving commute (under normal 

15 commuting conditions) outside the System unit 

16 boundary for the development, construction, rehabili17 tation, maintenance, operation, or management of 

18 quarters for field employees (as those terms are de19 fined in section 101331) (including related infra20 structure and amenities) for the System unit. 

21 ‘‘(2) DISPOSAL.—If the Secretary determines 

22 that any land or interest in land acquired under 

23 paragraph (1) no longer supports the administration 

24 of the System unit— 


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1 ‘‘(A) the Secretary may determine the land 

2 and any improvements to the land to be excess 

3 property for disposal; and 

4 ‘‘(B) the proceeds from the disposal of ex5 cess property under subparagraph (A) shall be 

6 retained by the Secretary and deposited in the 

7 special fund established for the development, 

8 construction, rehabilitation, or management of 

9 quarters for field employees (as so defined) (in10 cluding related infrastructure and amenities) 

11 under section 101338(b), to be expended by the 

12 Secretary without further appropriation.’’. 

13 SEC. 103. EXPANDING NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RENTAL 

14 OPTIONS. 

15 Section 101336 of title 54, United States Code, is 

16 amended, in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘management, 

17 repair, and maintenance of field employee quarters’’ and 

18 inserting ‘‘occupancy, development, construction, repair, 

19 maintenance, rehabilitation, or management of quarters 

20 for field employees (including related infrastructure and 

21 amenities)’’. 


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1 SEC. 104. LEVERAGING NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RENTAL 

2 RECEIPTS FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING PRO3 GRAMMING. 

4 Section 101338(b) of title 54, United States Code, 

5 is amended by striking ‘‘maintenance and operation of 

6 quarters’’ and inserting ‘‘development, construction, reha7 bilitation, or management of quarters for field employees 

8 (including related infrastructure and amenities)’’. 

9 SEC. 105. EMPOWERING THE FOREST SERVICE TO ADDRESS 

10 WORKFORCE HOUSING NEEDS. 

11 (a) USE OF FOREST SERVICE STRUCTURES OR IM12 PROVEMENTS.—Section 7 of the Act of April 24, 1950 

13 (commonly known as the ‘‘Granger-Thye Act’’) (64 Stat. 

14 84, chapter 97; 16 U.S.C. 580d), is amended by striking 

15 ‘‘thirty years as determined by him’’ and inserting ‘‘30 

16 years, or in the case of a permit for workforce housing 

17 and related infrastructure (including amenities), any dura18 tion, as determined to be appropriate by the Secretary of 

19 Agriculture’’. 

20 (b) CONVEYANCES OF FOREST SERVICE ADMINIS21 TRATIVE SITES.—Title V of the Forest Service Facility 

22 Realignment and Enhancement Act of 2005 (16 U.S.C. 

23 580d note; Public Law 109–54) is amended— 

24 (1) in section 503— 

25 (A) by striking subsection (f); and 


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1 (B) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub2 section (f); 

3 (2) in section 504— 

4 (A) in subsection (b)(2)(A), by inserting 

5 ‘‘or over time’’ after ‘‘conveyance of the admin6 istrative site’’; 

7 (B) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ‘‘by 

8 competitive sale’’ and inserting ‘‘through com9 petition’’; and 

10 (C) in subsection (d), by adding at the end 

11 the following: 

12 ‘‘(5) EXEMPTION FROM INFORMATION COLLEC13 TION REQUIREMENTS.—Subchapter I of chapter 35 

14 of title 44, United States Code, shall not apply to 

15 instruments used to convey administrative sites 

16 under this title. 

17 ‘‘(6) FORECLOSURE.—After a reasonable period 

18 of time for removal and under conditions for cause 

19 considered to be appropriate by the Secretary, a fa20 cility or improvement on an administrative site re21 maining after the termination of a conveyance under 

22 this title shall be conveyed to the United States 

23 without consideration.’’; and 

24 (3) in section 505(b)— 


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1 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

2 the end; 

3 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking the pe4 riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 

5 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(3) the acquisition of land or any interests in 

7 land (with or without improvements) for purposes of 

8 administration of the National Forest System, in9 cluding the construction of Federal employee and 

10 private housing; and 

11 ‘‘(4) the reacquisition by the Secretary of an 

12 administrative site, a purchase agreement, or an op13 tion to buy land with or without improvements con14 veyed under this title.’’. 

15 TITLE II—EXPANDING 

16 PARTNERSHIP CAPACITY 

17 SEC. 201. ENGAGING PARTNERS TO ADDRESS NATIONAL 

18 PARK SERVICE WORKFORCE HOUSING. 

19 Section 101701(a) of title 54, United States Code, 

20 is amended— 

21 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting, ‘‘, including 

22 projects for field employee quarters (as those terms 

23 are defined in section 101331),’’ after ‘‘responsibil24 ities of the Secretary.’’; and 

25 (2) in paragraph (2)— 


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1 (A) by inserting ‘‘, Tribal,’’ after ‘‘State’’; 

2 (B) by inserting ‘‘(including an organiza3 tion that has a philanthropic agreement to 

4 fundraise or otherwise generate donations on 

5 behalf of, or for the benefit of, a Federal agen6 cy)’’ after ‘‘organization’’; and 

7 (C) by inserting ‘‘(including an individual 

8 that has a philanthropic agreement to fundraise 

9 or otherwise generate donations on behalf of, or 

10 for the benefit of, a Federal agency)’’ after ‘‘in11 dividual’’. 

12 SEC. 202. LEVERAGING PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT TO AD13 DRESS NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WORK14 FORCE HOUSING. 

15 Section 103501(c)(3) of title 54, United States Code, 

16 is amended by inserting ‘‘, services,’’ after ‘‘goods’’. 

17 TITLE III—SUPPORTING 

18 WORKFORCE 

19 SEC. 301. SUPPORTING THE PERMANENT LAND MANAGER 

20 WORKFORCE. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary or the Secretary of 

22 Agriculture, as applicable, may recruit and directly ap23 point qualified individuals into the competitive service who 

24 are certified, in accordance with procedures established by 

25 the Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture, as applicaVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:17 Sep 30, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5125.IS S5125

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1 ble, as maintaining a permanent and exclusive residence 

2 within, contiguous to, or not more than a 1-hour driving 

3 commute (under normal commuting conditions) from a 

4 site administered by the National Park Service, United 

5 States Fish and Wildlife Service, or Forest Service to 

6 which the individual would report to work into any posi7 tion at or below grade GS–11 of the General Schedule, 

8 WG–15 of the Federal Wage System, or equivalent within 

9 the applicable site. 

10 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—In exercising the authority 

11 provided under subsection (a), the Secretary or the Sec12 retary of Agriculture, as applicable, shall ensure that any 

13 action taken by the Secretary or the Secretary of Agri14 culture, as applicable— 

15 (1) is consistent with the merit principles of 

16 section 2301 of title 5, United States Code; 

17 (2) complies with the public notice requirements 

18 of section 3327 of that title; and 

19 (3) is based on a determination by the Sec20 retary or Secretary of Agriculture, as applicable, 

21 that there is a need for workforce housing that can22 not be supplied by the Federal Government. 

23 (c) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—The authority 

24 provided under subsection (a) shall terminate on Sep25 tember 30, 2030. 


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1 SEC. 302. SUPPORTING THE SEASONAL NATIONAL PARK 

2 SERVICE WORKFORCE. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi4 sion of law, for purposes of determining the noncompeti5 tive rehire eligibility of temporary seasonal employees of 

6 the National Park Service— 

7 (1) the Secretary shall establish a definition of 

8 what constitutes a major subdivision of the National 

9 Park Service; and 

10 (2) any requirement that a position be in the 

11 same local commuting area shall not apply. 

12 (b) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—The authority 

13 provided under subsection (a) shall terminate on Sep14 tember 30, 2030. 

15 TITLE IV—REPORTS AND 

16 OVERSIGHT 

17 SEC. 401. QUANTIFYING THE WORKFORCE HOUSING NEEDS 

18 OF LAND MANAGERS. 

19 Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 

20 of this Act, the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture 

21 shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of Con22 gress a needs assessment report that describes, with re23 spect to housing the workforce of covered agencies, as ap24 plicable— 

25 (1) housing unit types and utilization; 


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1 (2) year-round, seasonal, and required occu2 pancy rates; 

3 (3) alternatives to onsite housing; 

4 (4) local rental market availability and afford5 ability; 

6 (5) local housing market trends; and 

7 (6) housing needs by position type. 

8 SEC. 402. CONDUCTING OVERSIGHT ON THE HOUSING PRO9 GRAMMING OF LAND MANAGERS. 

10 (a) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 18 

11 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comp12 troller General of the United States shall submit to the 

13 appropriate committees of Congress a report that— 

14 (1) assesses, in consultation with the National 

15 Housing Council described in Office of Management 

16 and Budget Circular A–45, the effect of Office of 

17 Management and Budget Circular A–45R on the 

18 housing of the workforce of covered agencies; 

19 (2) assesses the effect of Office of Management 

20 and Budget Circular A–11 on the housing of the 

21 workforce of covered agencies; 

22 (3) assesses the effect of department-level guid23 ance on the housing of the workforce of covered 

24 agencies; 


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1 (4) assesses the effect of agency-level guidance 

2 on the housing of the workforce of covered agencies; 

3 and 

4 (5) identifies suggested administrative actions 

5 and legislative proposals to reform the guidance as6 sessed under paragraphs (1) through (4), includ7 ing— 

8 (A) improvements to tenant experience; 

9 (B) improvements to workforce housing 

10 supply, including— 

11 (i) housing managed by the covered 

12 agencies; and 

13 (ii) leased private market housing; 

14 (C) improvements to financing options; 

15 (D) improvements to public-private part16 nerships; 

17 (E) improvements to philanthropic engage18 ment; and 

19 (F) improvements to commuting times to 

20 report stations, including— 

21 (i) available housing in the gateway 

22 communities; 

23 (ii) available housing in the nearest 

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1 fice of Management and Budget Circular 

2 A–45); 

3 (iii) discrepancies in Office of Man4 agement and Budget, Department of the 

5 Interior, and National Park Service defini6 tions for reasonable commuting time; and 

7 (iv) differences between normal com8 muting conditions and peak-commute traf9 fic conditions, including considerations 

10 for— 

11 (I) road quality and condition; 

12 (II) availability of public trans13 portation; 

14 (III) winter driving; and 

15 (IV) visitor traffic. 

16 (b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 1 year after 

17 the date on which the report is submitted under subsection 

18 (a), the heads of the covered agencies shall carry out the 

19 administrative actions identified under paragraph (5) of 

20 that subsection. 

21 SEC. 403. JUSTIFYING EMERGENCY SPENDING. 

22 Section 5 of the Act of August 3, 1956 (70 Stat. 

23 1033, chapter 950; 7 U.S.C. 2228), is amended— 


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1 (1) by striking the section designation and all 

2 that follows through ‘‘The Department’’ and insert3 ing the following: 

4 ‘‘SEC. 5. EMERGENCY SUBSISTENCE FOR EMPLOYEES. 

5 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Department’’; and 

6 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(b) REQUIRED NOTICE FOR FOREST SERVICE EM8 PLOYEES.—Not less than 30 days before the date on 

9 which the Secretary of Agriculture exercises the authority 

10 under subsection (a) with respect to Forest Service em11 ployees, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the 

12 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen13 ate, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and For14 estry of the Senate, the Committee on Natural Resources 

15 of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on 

16 Agriculture of the House of Representatives notice pro17 viding— 

18 ‘‘(1) 1 or more justifications for the use of the 

19 authority; 

20 ‘‘(2) the estimated cost of using the authority, 

21 as verified by the Director of the Congressional 

22 Budget Office; and 

23 ‘‘(3) the name of the office within the Forest 

24 Service employing the individuals that would be pro25 vided subsistence payments. 


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1 ‘‘(c) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the date 

2 on which the Secretary of Agriculture exercises the au3 thority under subsection (a) with respect to Forest Service 

4 employees, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the 

5 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen6 ate, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and For7 estry of the Senate, the Committee on Natural Resources 

8 of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on 

9 Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report pro10 viding the number and grade level of the General Schedule 

11 of Forest Service employees to be provided subsistence 

12 payments.’’. 

Æ 


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